Sometimes spilling a cup of coffee isn’t just spilling a cup of coffee. Under the right circumstances, an occurrence such as that can trigger a surprise reaction. And the press tour for the new Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw just that type of situation occur. What began as Chris Pratt accidentally wrecking Pom Kelmentieff’s designer purse turned into a bittersweet moment acknowledging the end of an emotional journey.
During Marvel’s press blitz for the latest Guardians of the Galaxy adventure, a press conference, moderated by co-star Nathan Fillion, featured a lot of interesting facts about James Gunn’s three-quel. CinemaBlend was on hand for this talk, and there weren't simply stories about how certain actors were cast or how awesome it was to walk in slow motion to the Beastie Boys on set. There was actually a particularly emotional tale, which was shared by none other than Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
Excited to have the chance to tell this story, the super producer set up the fact that Chris Pratt placed his cup of coffee down before a group of the Vol. 3 stars took off on a flight. There were cup holders present, and Kevin Feige dropped in a friendly dig about how “Chris is a clumsy oaf.” So you know where that coffee is going once the plane takes off. That ultimately led to the following story that Feige shared during the press conference:
It’s me, Karen, Pom, and Chris. We’re on the plane. And the plane takes off. And you know, planes. Chris has maybe never been on one. He doesn’t realize that sometimes planes tilt different directions. And his coffee slid down and fell all over Pom’s expensive, beautiful purse that we’ve all been complimenting for a week. And Pom’s a little irritated with Chris, as she should be. And, you know, we clean it up. And then we’re flying for another, I don’t know, maybe, you know, 10 minutes. And all of a sudden, I’m sorry to embarrass you. All of a sudden, Pom bursts into tears. And she goes, ‘I’m so sad.’ And Chris and I look at each other and go 'You really screwed up by dropping [the cup].' Like, we thought she was sad about her purse getting wet. And then she said, ‘I feel like something is ending.’
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s first trailer had already set up enough of a potential tear fest for those who watch the movie. After you read this Pom Klementieff anecdote though, all return viewings just might have a slightly heightened emotional impact. This is especially true when taking into account how things end for each of the Guardians, which is a rainbow of feelings in itself.
Pom Klementieff’s part of the story is just as bittersweetly funny. As she further explained the feelings running through her in the moment, the actor shared an idea for how to deal with those emotions. Unfortunately, as you’re about to read, the Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One star couldn’t run and hide as she wanted, for one specific reason:
It’s funny because, like, I wanted to hide in the bathroom and cry because it was like I don’t know. You know, sometimes it’s like mourning, you know. Sometimes it just comes at unexpected moments. And you just can’t control it. It’s the beauty of it too. You know. It just comes like that. And it just, I couldn’t contain it. And I wanted to hide in the bathroom to cry. But Karen [Gillan] was in the bathroom. So, it’s like, ‘Come on! No!’
These are definitely the types of moments that a family like the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast would share. Even in the face of great sadness and the parting of ways, there’s room for humorous stories to add the sweetness to the bitter. And while the concern over Pom Klementieff’s “very expensive and very unique” purse faded into the emotional background, one can hope that she was able to find a happy ending by having that bag properly tended to after this caffeinated calamity.
There’s plenty more laughter and reflection where this came from, as we played trivia with some of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 family during the press rounds as well. And if you happen to want to experience the entire saga of the Guardians, you can get a Disney+ subscription and catch all of the previous installments that make up their cinematic journey. And of course, you can go see Vol. 3 in theaters now. Just be sure that whether watching alone or with friends, you secure any loose beverages before take off.
